Waiting Eight Years
by TophKenshi
Summary: A fic about Toph and my own character, who were friends until...TophxOC. Read and Review please. Fluff and possibly a Long fic. The war is over and the world is as it should be... or is it? Romance with a plot that goes beyond simple love.
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer- I don't own Avatar or Toph (Oh I wish I did, but noooo…). I do own Kenshi (OC). The Toph in this story is 18. See here for picture. This is a time-skip of 6 years that assumes that Aang beat the Firelord and the world is at peace once more… or is it?

2nd Disclaimer- I don't own that picture. It is solely attributed to moony92. Great artwork for Toph!

13+ Is it's rating. May go up later on.

-2 Years before the story of Avatar: The Last Airbender, in Tophs hometown of Gaoling-

"C'mon Toph, your falling behind!" shouted the small boy, running behind a tree. The boys name was Kenshi. He was shorter then the average height by about two inches was skinny and wore glasses. While other children called him weird, the thing that defined that was his eyes, which one of was green and the other blue.

"Wait up you big goof!" replied Toph, running along behind the boy. While she was blind, the vibrations running through the ground from Kenshi's pounding feet enabled her to follow him. With a burst of sudden speed, she tackled Kenshi to the ground where they rolled around. Kenshi immediately popped back up. They hit a small rock and bounced onto the ground.

"You ok Toph?" he said, grinning widely.

"Yeah, just a scratch, nothing too big as long as my parents don't see it." Toph said, picking herself back up. They immediately started racing again.

"I'll beat you this time!" Toph shouted, rushing downhill as fast as she could.

"Oh no you won't!" came Kenshi's reply, sprinting down past here. They were running around on the Bei Fong estate, playing in the warm sun. No other children where around; they avoided Toph and Kenshi, labeling them outcasts. Kenshi was shunned, for his oddly colored eyes, and Toph for her apparent weakness due to blindness. As such, they were the best of friends, having only each other to pass by the days of childhood. They passed age-worn trees, running down the path to the entrance to Tophs home, where the fun would end and the duties began. When they reached the door, Kenshi patted Toph on the back.

"I guess this is it then. Bye Toph!" With that, he turned to go and run back up the path to the small house he lived in with his mother. Before he could go though, the door swung open. In the doorway stood Tophs father, arms already crossed.

"And where have YOU been Toph?" his voice boomed. His eyes scanned Toph, and he roughly pulled her to him and stared at her arm. On it were the tiniest of scratches and some smudges of dirt surrounding it. He whipped around, his face a mask of rage.

"What have you been doing Toph!"

Toph looked down at where she presumed her feet where.

"Nothing Dad, I was just messing around." Tophs father stared directly at Kenshi.

"This is your fault, isn't it. My Toph has a scratch on her arm and it's your fault ISN'T IT!" Kenshi shrunk back as if bitten. Toph was his best and only friend, and here he was accused of purposely hurting her. He felt a little dizzy underneath the older mans onslaught. "I should have known you were no good for her! Toph, say good bye to your friend." The man continued. With that, he whirled about and stalked back into the home.

"Dad, you can't do that!" Toph shouted, attempting to defend her friend. "You're totally overreacting to this! It's just a scratch!"

Tophs father turned around slowly and sighed. "Toph, I'm doing this for your own good." He began to explain. "You shouldn't even associate with trash like that. It's below the Bei Fong name." Toph stamped her foot as hard as she could.

"You can't talk about my best friend like that!" Tophs father stared at her outburst before regaining his composure.

"You're coming with me. It is obvious he is a bad influence on you, and you shouldn't see him again." He said. "In fact," he continued, "Why is this ruffian still here? Guards! Remove him from the Bei Fong estate immediately."

"No!" cried Toph, scrabbling. She was dragged inside still shouting, until the door slammed, muffling the sounds. Meanwhile, Kenshi was being dragged away, shouting as well.

"Wait, my friend is in there! Don't do this!" Kenshi cried. "It's not fair!"

"I know it isn't fair kid, but it's my job to do what he says. My wife and kids rely on the money I make from this job to support them ever since my son ran away and got himself killed by the Fire Nation." Came the guards reply, dragging the boy away with a stone face. Still kicking and shouting, Kenshi was forcefully ejected from the estates grounds onto the street. He picked himself up and began walking back home, still sniffling over the unfairness of it all. Suddenly his path was impeded, surrounded by the villages other children who had shunned him from before.

"Well, if it isn't freak number one." said a boy standing on the path.

"What's the matter freak? Lost your friend?" said another one, cutting him off from behind.

"Aww poor baby lost his blind buddy." said another one, stopping him from running to the left of him.

"Maybe that's why she hangs out with him, because she can't see his FACE." laughed the fourth boy, cutting him off and forcing him into the center of them. They surrounded Kenshi, mocking him from all sides and jeering at him.

"Poor freak, now you're all alone without your blind girlfriend to help you." They said, continuing to taunt him.

"She's not my girlfriend!" shouted Kenshi, his face turning beet red.

"Look at him! He's blushing!" shouted the largest boy. The torment continued, without Kenshi being able to walk away or even run. "The freak with a blue and a green eye… Let's make them both black and blue!" shouted the larger one, continuing. They surrounded him, kicking him and punching him brutally. Finally, he had enough.

"Leave… me… ALONE!" he screamed, emphasizing the final word by slamming his fists into the ground. Suddenly, the ground seemed to erupt around him, and his tormentors were flying through the air. Kenshi stared at his hands, wondering what he had done. "Did I just… earthbend?" he muttered, continuing to stare. Then he looked at the boys who had mocked him so often. They were in pain, moaning and clutching their bodies where the explosions of rock had hit them. Kenshi stared… and began to run. He ran all the way home, passing worn-down trees, mossy rocks, a small bubbling brook, until he was home. At home, safe at last, he flopped onto the mat that was his bed and slept quietly.

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Ever since that day, he began to teach himself. And in the six years when his dearest friend Toph taught the avatar how to Earthbend, and the world was saved, he was practicing. Throughout the years he began to travel, building up his knowledge. Throughout his travels, he perfected the art of Earthbending to its farthest degree. And through the six years, he read of the exploits of his childhood friend, never learning where she was, only what she did. And while Toph grew into a beautiful young woman, the skinny, myopic, weak boy she knew went through a metamorphosis. Where once there was a puny weakling, there was now a strong, handsome young man, forever thrusting off the advances of women in the effort to find his friend and tell her how he felt. Wherever he traveled, he worked to help the people, but he was always a wanderer, following small snippets of rumors to track down Toph. Then, one fateful day, he would meet her and ask her about that fateful day at the Bei Fong estate...

Sorry, this is my first ever fan-fiction. So I'm not sure if it's any good. Feel free to leave comments/reviews or suggestions. Re-edited by a kind suggestion  And who doesn't want to indulge a little in some fluffy romance . By: TophKenshi  Ah yes the name gives it away doesn't it.


	2. Meeting in Omashu

Disclaimer- As usual, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or Toph, or even the house I'm sitting in right now. Oh well  The Toph in this story is 18. See here. I do not own this picture, but I commend moony92 for her artistry that made me want to write a fanfic about it.

13+ is its rating for now, may go up.

It had been eight years since that day at the Bei Fong estate. Kenshi had never forgotten that fateful day when he lost his best friend Toph, and found the gift of bending. Since that day, he had never gone back to the Bei Fong estate. He knew the guards wouldn't let him in to see Toph, and even if they did, her father would stop him. After two years, he left home. It was not by choice, but rather by what he did. When the parents of the boys who had tormented him so often confronted his mother, he could do nothing but leave. The only thing he regretted was not saying goodbye to Toph. In the four years that followed, his friend Toph would teach the Avatar earthbending, he was wondering the four nations. He perfected his Earthbending as far as it could go, through years of traveling experience. After eight years, they both had changed. Where there once was an underweight squirt that couldn't see past seven feet and had no sense of direction, there was now a handsome strong young man who… still had no sense of direction. He was much taller then, now a whole inch above the average. He wore loose fitting clothes that allowed for free movement in combat, and a wide brimmed hat that covered his eyes. Toph had changed in some ways and stayed the same in others. Inwardly, she was still the same "I'll bash your head in", stubborn tomboy. Outwardly though, puberty had hit her like a proverbial ton of bricks. She was much taller, in comparison to her previous height and she had grown her hair out until it reached the small of her back. She had grown out in all directions, including bust, arms and legs, giving her a more graceful look. She never had returned home after the war ended, opting to run free across the four nations. Kenshi had wandered for eight years and was still doing that. Still, he never forgot his friend Toph, and was still trying to find her, following rumors and whatever could lead him to her.

It was morning when Kenshi flopped back his hat, where it rested on his back, and stared at the scrap of paper in his hand. "Ok so if I took a left at Badgermole Pass, and then kept walking I'd be at Omashu…" He said, scratching his head. As usual, with no sense of direction, he was attempting to find his way to Omashu. He was completely out of supplies and after a taste of berries went wrong, he decided to head to a nearby city to stock up on supplies. Sighing, he picked up his small pack and rubbed his empty stomach. "Almost there…" he said, continuing to walk down the path.

Toph walked down the streets of Omashu. It had been a long time since she had set foot in the Earth Kingdom city. She had left Aang and Katara, who were now living at the Northern Air Temple with the Mechanist and Teo. She left because it was "too weird" with Katara and Aang walking around and giggling and holding hands until it was too much for her, and she left. Not like she needed them! She considered herself independent enough to travel alone and strong enough to fight off most foes. As she walked down the street, she noticed something. Someone was following her, and from their heartbeat, it wasn't good. They were getting closer, until the person clapped their hand on her shoulder.

"Going somewhere pretty thing?" the man said, his voice smelling of too much alcohol and more then a little illegal cactus juice. This wasn't the first time a drunken idiot had tried to lay hands on her, and it most likely wouldn't be the last. Her clothes (see the picture), beauty and apparent frailty made her the supposed "perfect target". Nothing could ever be farther from the truth. As cutesy and easy as she looked, Toph was quite possibly the strongest earthbender to ever live, excluding the avatars. "Why don't you just stop moving now." said the man, clenching his hand tighter around her shoulder. Now if the man had a shred of sense, he would have realized there was no cry of pain when he clenched his fist.

"How about you let go of me and I don't hurt you." came Tophs reply, cool, quiet and collected. The man guffawed, his rank breath fouling the air around his head. "Fine, have it your way." said Toph. A few hand motions later, and the cry of "MY CABBAGES!!!" could be heard all around Omashu. Minutes later, when people came to see the commotion, the image of a man wiggling around upside-down in a vat of cabbages was all they would remember for the day.

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Kenshi wiped his forehead. He'd been alternately walking and jogging along Badgermole Pass to get to Omashu, underneath the hot sun. He was almost in Omashu. He just needed to check in through the guarded gate. After he checked in and was checked to make sure he wasn't doing any illegal activities, he walked through the gates into Omashu.

"Now where to get supplies…" he muttered to himself, scratching his head. "Hmm, maybe I'll just go to that Tea Shop the guard was talking about and have a drink…" he continued. Finally, his mind made up, he began the walk to the Jasmine Dragon.

Toph sighed. It was a long day, and she was tired. She started heading for her friend Iroh and his teashop in the Omashu. Ever since the shop had moved to Omashu, it had been her place for cooling down. She sighed and began running for the teashop. Little did she know what would happen when she got to the teashop.

"Table for one please." said Kenshi, waiting at the door.

"Of course, come right in!" said Ty Lee. Ever since the end of the war, she decided to go with Mai and work in Iroh's tea shop. Considering that Azula was locked up in Ba Sing Se's dungeons, they agreed to work off whatever war crimes were committed by doing community service at the tea shop. As he was guided by the perky young gymnast, he looked around. The Jasmine Dragon was the cities most popular tea shop, with young and old alike flocking to it for a cup of tea or a place to hang out. Kenshi took a side booth, and ordered a pot of green tea. It had been a long walk, and he needed to relax for the moment. He pulled his hat so that it covered his eyes and nose, and slumped back in the booth.

"Hi! Can I guide you to a table?" said Ty Lee, receiving the next person to enter.

"Table for one please." said Toph, thirsty and tired for the day. She looked into the busy tea shop. "Not a whole lot of tables open, huh?" said Toph. She was worried that she wouldn't get a table, and being her, she was very straightforward about it.

"Well you can still sit at that table… It has one seat left! There's only that one guy, and he won't bother you! He's a cutie!" said Ty Lee, hyperactive as she flipped around while Toph headed for the table. As she settled into the booth, across from the person, she cleared her throat.

"Uh…Hello?"

The person stirred and looked up. The hat was still covering his features except for his mouth.

"Umm, hello to you too…" he said, sitting up, with the hat now covering only his eyes. "Looking" at him, Toph believed he look vaguely familiar. Still, she didn't know anyone with his voice. And definitely not with his looks (that's right Zuko/ Aang/ Sokka fans. BURN.), that was for sure. Even though she couldn't see part of his face, just looking at him sped up her heartbeat. She immediately tensed. She couldn't just be attracted to any stranger in a tea shop, she was thinking. She wasn't go to be some fluffy Katara, always drooling and hanging on to Aang. No! She was independent! (She's using vibration to look at his face, but the hat is blocking out some of it)

"Well uh... What're you doing in Omashu?" said Toph, trying to make light conversation.

"I'm looking for someone that I needed to tell something eight year's ago." came Kenshi's reply. Little did he know the very person he was searching for was right ahead of him. "There's been something I've waited so very long to say to her, and I've been looking for her forever. If I could just tell her, then it would make me so much happier." he continued.

Toph smiled. "That's so romantic… I wish someone would come after me like that." Ironically, this was as close to the truth as ever possible.

"Sir, your tea is done." A waitress came near and placed a teapot and two cups on the table.

"Thank you." said Kenshi, tipping her a coin. He poured a cup of tea for himself and extended a cup to Toph. "Tea?" When Toph nodded, he handed her a cup and drank a sip from his before sliding his hat back to rest on his back. Now that she could "see" him, Tophs heart skipped a few beats and suddenly she was feeling very weak at the knees. Kenshi took a good look at Toph for the first time, having taken off his hat. He gasped and dropped the tea cup. It broke on the table, leaving a small puddle on the polished stone. "T-t-Toph.!?" he stuttered, barely being able to gabble the words out. He stared at her. She had changed immensely to him. She went from being his scrubby tomboyish friend to becoming a beautiful young woman. And he couldn't stop staring at her; she was mesmerizing. He blushed a little, and the little cogs in his mind began turning. "Stop staring…" he was thinking. But he was 18, and at that age, his cogs began to snap and break down.

"K-k-Kenshi?!" she said, her heart continuing pound like a drum. She continued to "look" at him, seeing her friend after a long eight years. It was the biggest shock of her life. She couldn't believe how much he had grown over the years. Where he was once inches shorter then her, now it was the other way around; He was two inches taller then her. His eyesight had somehow been fixed or so she guessed from the fact he was not wearing glasses. And the thing that stood out to her most… He was hot! While he might have been teased for his looks as a child, Toph could barely control herself. She could "stare" all day at him and not be satisfied. Kenshi regained control of himself and managed to begin stammering what he had rehearsed for eight years.

"T-Toph, there's been something I've wanted to say to you for those eight years we never saw each other. And there's been something I've wanted to ask you." he began. An awkward silence began to follow. "Toph, I want to say that I-"Kenshi was about to say, before the door to the tea shop burst open.

"WHERE IS SHE." shouted the man who had presumably slammed the doors open. He was a tough looking man, with tattoos swirling around his arms and on top of his bald head. He was extremely muscled, laughably so. He looked around the tea shop, his head swiveling and fists clenched. Then he spotted Toph and Kenshi's table. "There you are." he said, popping his knuckles. "You've got to answer for our boy who's got a broken arm. Outside. Now." Kenshi folded his arms across his chest.

"Why should we- AHH!" he began, but lunged back as the mans fist hit the table.

"NOW." said the man, muscles bulging. Toph stood up and put a few coins on the table.

"Let's do this Twinkletoes. If I can take down one of you, I can take down any of you." she said, popping her knuckles in anticipation.

"Toph…" said Kenshi, concerned for his friend. Seeing her after eight years made him more desperate to not lose her again, and he stood up. "I'm going with you." Toph, Kenshi and the man stepped outside. When they got outside, they realized they made a terrible mistake. It wouldn't be just one man. It would be his whole entire gang. "Oh no…" Kenshi whispered. This wasn't good at all.

Yes I know Toph can't see details with her version of sight. But hey! It's a fanfiction, and it's been quite awhile since that fateful day. She's bound to develop something right? Leave reviews/flames and have fun 


	3. Never Losing You Again

Disclaimer- I don't own Avatar, or Toph. Oh I wish I did, but the courts won't let me even own ONE tiny bit. Oh well haha.

Teen- Fluffy, maybe kissing or something. I don't know, I'm still writing it!

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Toph and Kenshi looked around themselves. They were surrounded; not the best place to be on the streets at this time of the night. Kenshi trembled a little, shaking at the knees while appraising his nearby enemies. Toph barely showed surprise, opting to crack her knuckles and hurl out taunts.

"Are we going to get started ladies, or do you need to be invited to the tea party?" she said, mocking them with each syllable. Their anger was practically tangible by now, boiling over the top as they closed the distance. With every step they took the ring grew smaller and the noose got tighter. Toph barely seemed disturbed, laughing even.

"We'll wipe that grin off your face." snarled one man, wielding a sword. He was the only armed member, and presumably the leader of the motley pack of men.

"Your friend already looks like he's wet himself." taunted another one, grinning to reveal a mouthful of rotten teeth. This proved to be a big mistake for him, as he ate fifty pounds of flying rock via Toph.

"You stinking b-"a man began to say, before he got cut off by a swift knee to the gut from Kenshi. The man wheezed before dropping like a stone; he never saw Kenshi coming. Toph spun around and dodged a flying rock before returning the favor and hitting the mark dead on. Kenshi chose the less damaging route and trapped his opponent's feet in the stone street before knocking them out as painlessly as possible. Then it happened. The man who had a sword was watching his gang becomes decimated in the onslaught of the two skilled Earthbenders, until he could take no more. He lunged and made an expert swing, timing it so it caught Toph across her stomach. It wasn't mortal or for Toph. Still, it was bad enough to

"Taste that you bra-"the mans sentence hadn't even finished before Kenshi's foot was planted in his face. The second he saw one drop of her blood hit the ground, he went berserk. He let loose a scream of rage and despair and kicked the man with the swords jaw as hard as he could. He whipped around. Instead of his usual subtle earthbending, in his despair he chose brute force instead. A man stepped forward to stop him, but received a rock-hard fist to his stomach and flew a total of seven feet before landing unconscious on the street. The others surrounded him.

"It's six on one, we can take hi-"once again, another man was cut off in mid-speech by a flying rock. Kenshi turned slowly and picked up Toph. He was crying, cradling his friend in his arms. And then something in him snapped.

"Never again." he said, staring at Toph. "Never AGAIN." he repeated. This time, he punctuated the words with a stomp of his foot. The ground around him rumbled and splintered, shooting up and sending the remaining five thugs soaring into painful positions. Iroh finally came out of the tea shop after hearing the explosion of rocks and began to survey the scene. He gasped; the area was a total mess. Men where lying everywhere, groaning in pain. At the center of this devastation was Kenshi, cradling something and crying. Iroh walked over and clapped a hand on the young mans shoulder in sympathy. Then he saw what Kenshi was cradling.

"Oh no…" he said. "Young man, bring her into the Tea Shop." He turned to the tea shop. "Zuko, Ty Lee we need a first aid kit, now!" he shouted. Then he touched Kenshi's shoulder again. He was crying and clutching Tophs unconscious body close.

"I-I hurt all those people and lost her again!" he screamed, still crying. Iroh dragged him into the tea shop and pried his hands off and took Toph to a back room for healing. Kenshi sat in the empty tea shop which Iroh had evacuated moments before, crying. He had almost lost her again. It was almost too much to bear for him. He had searched high and low for eight years to find his friend and when he at last saw her as a beautiful person that he had been searching for, he had gotten her injured. He blamed himself for it, and sat there for an hour while Iroh and the others attempted to heal Toph. After the hour ended and Toph walked out, he was still there holding his head in his arms. She strode over to where he was still sitting and pulled a chair over and sat next to him.

"Where you hurt?" she asked, her voice low but comforting. When he didn't respond, she put an arm around him comfortingly. "Are you ok?"

"N-no", he sobbed, "I almost l-lost you after eight years a-again." He began to cry into her shoulder. She understood the strain on his mind that seeing her blood had caused and held him tighter while whispering into his ear.

"I'll always be here for you. Always." With that, she patted his back and went out in the street to earthbend it back to its normal look. When she came back in, he had dried his eyes.

"When are they going to start kissing already!" whispered Ty Lee, staring from the back room.

"Quiet!" said Iroh, "It's starting to get good!" Kenshi walked towards Toph and hugged her tight. Tophs eyes widened but she didn't pull back. She closed her eyes, rested her head on his shoulder and hugged him tight. It was good to see her friend again.

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-The Next Morning-

"Gah! Orders are coming in too fast!" yelled Kenshi while dashing across the tea shop, trying not to let his trays tip over. He had slept the night on a bench while the others slept on the third floor that was their home. The first two floors were the shop; the Jasmine Dragon was a prosperous and large shop. He was happier then he had ever been. He could see his friend Toph at any time of the day and had made many new friends. For now though, all he could do was run around and fill orders. Kenshi ran and started filling more tea cups. It was going to be a long day…

That's right, the third chapter is done. Fourth one will be coming up soon, while I'm still on break. So far I've only gotten one review, but it was very helpful and led to me editing the first two chapters per suggestion. PLEASE Review!


	4. Ty Lees Love Tophs Jealousy

Disclaimer- I don't own Avatar or Toph. I do own Kenshi- Original Character. Note- This IS a Teen Rated Fan-fiction.

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-Picking up from last chapter-

It was in the afternoon, and while Kenshi struggled with tea trays, Ty Lee seemed to practically walk on her hands around. Her acrobatics allowed her to carry the trays with ease. Toph floated them around with her because they were composed of stone, so no problem there. Zuko was simply dexterous and strong enough to carry his. Only Kenshi seemed to struggle. He didn't want to try bending like Toph; he was afraid his coordination of Earthbending wasn't as good as hers. Instead he struggled through the day carrying his trays and making tea.

"Gah!" he said, almost slipping and dropping his tray.

"Watch it, you big goof!" warned Toph, earthbending the tray (it was made of stone) to stay up. It was the eighth time this day he had almost dropped tea in a chaotic manner. "You're having trouble keeping yourself up aren't you? I'm sure Zuko wouldn't mind not doing the dishes…" she hinted, working her way around the shop.

"I'll trade work stations with him then." And with that remark, Kenshi walked back into the kitchen. "Zuko, you get to carry trays. I'll wash the cups and trays."

"Ok, just don't forget to wash the rims extensively. Some patrons have slimy lips." said Zuko, sharing a conspiring grin with Kenshi. Kenshi smiled and began cleaning dishes. Hours later his hands were aching and knees were shaking. Standing still all day wasn't exactly the most appealing thing to do. While everyone cleaned up, Kenshi wondered where he would sleep. The last night he had slept on a bench from sheer exhaustion. When he woke up, he had killer back pain and a crick in his neck. When they were done cleaning, Kenshi and the others congregated around a table, pulling up chairs and drinking a fresh pot of tea. Conversation turned from odd customers to odder orders to even odder positions Ty Lee had to take to balance six trays of tea. Finally Kenshi broached the topic.

"So umm… Where do I sleep?" Ty Lee stared at him before laughing.

"That's right! We didn't get you a place to sleep! Well you can bunk with me… cutie!" she burst out in a flurry of words. After a slightly awkward silence, a death glare from Toph, a grin from Iroh and a Zuko who refused to look people in the eye, Iroh spoke.

"Well, the Zuko and I share a room. I suppose it is best for you to bunk with Ty Lee and Toph." Ty Lees face was lit up with joy and Toph (For the first time today) looked surprised. Zuko and Kenshi snorted into their tea at the same time, sending it splattering across their faces. Iroh seemed oblivious and Toph slumped lower.

"You can't be serious." was the only thing she said, gripping her hands together tightly. Iroh raised an eye.

"I don't see why not. After all he IS your best friend from eight years ago, so it shouldn't be too awkward. And Ty Lee doesn't seem to mind either." Ty Lee was grinning and nodding.

"Whatever." said Toph, slumping and walking upstairs to the room to get changed.

"She LIKES you! And I think you like her! Ooh she's so lucky!" said Ty Lee, hyper as ever before heading upstairs at well.

"Is she serious?" said Kenshi, mopping his face off with a nearby napkin. He was redder then a tomato from blushing. Zuko seemed to recover from his surprise and burst out laughing.

"Your one lucky, lucky man Kenshi." he said, still laughing. "Ty Lee is madly in love with you and I think Toph is but she won't admit it." Kenshi blushed again, turning so red it looked like his head would explode. He was head over heels in love with Toph; after all he had searched eight years to tell her so. He still hadn't and was bucking up the courage to do so. Still, Ty Lee was cute and had matured every bit as much as Toph and on top of that she openly showed her love for him.

"Well at least there'll be separate beds and I don't have to sleep near them." he said, half sighing with relief and the other hormone infected half of his mind moaning in despair. Zuko and Iroh looked at each other and said in unison the five words that made Kenshi snort into his tea again. Those five words were-

"There is only one bed." When those words were said, Kenshi snorted into his tea and then fainted. Iroh and Zuko stared at him before cleaning up and then slapping him awake. When Kenshi woke up he was dazed and disorientated until Zuko started shaking him.

"Uncle, I think we need your special tea!"

"I'll be right on it!" Within moments, Iroh had the tea ready and poured it down Kenshi's throat. Kenshi's face turned bright purple and steam came out of his ears before he woke with a start. After some contemplating, he came to terms with his situation and went upstairs. After using the bathroom to take a shower and get changed into his night clothes from his pack he went into the second bedroom. Ty Lee was already sleeping while Toph was putting some things away. He tip toed to not disturb the already sleeping one and climbed into bed and attempted to sleep. He immediately felt someone latch on to his left side and put their head on his shoulder.

"It's just like a sleepover!" said Ty Lee, not letting go. Toph immediately heard this and turned around. If death glares could kill then… the lamp would be dead. She was tired and her vibration sight wasn't quite focused right. Still, she put her hand on the bed. She felt Ty Lee and directly under her arm was…Kenshi? All of a sudden crushing Ty Lee with a large boulder seemed very appealing. At the same time Toph blushed. Why was she reacting so negatively towards Ty Lee's affections for Kenshi? Kenshi was obviously her best friend but whenever she saw him, her heart seemed to leap up for a few beats. No! She wasn't going to be some mushy Katara who was always hanging on to Aang. Or in her case, Kenshi, whom she was currently holding conflicting feelings for. Still, she'd be damned if she'd let her friend, the acrobatic Ty Lee, take him right from under her nose. Ty Lee looked pretty serious about taking Kenshi as she snuggled up tight and fell asleep. Toph slipped into bed and imitated Ty Lee's movements, only on Kenshi's right side. He could barely move by now with his body constricted on two sides. All he could think was "Was Zuko Right?" and "I can't move!" Still, he managed to fall asleep and the night passed (relevantly) uneventfully.

-End of Chapter-

Wow, fourth chapter done already. Please leave reviews and vote- Do you want it to be Ty Lee/Kenshi/Toph or just Kenshi/Toph:X


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